


I think I loved her

by JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite



Category: Something Rotten! - Kirkpatrick/Kirkpatrick/O'Farrell
Genre: A friend showed me a thing, College AU, F/M, High School AU, and I felt inspired, don't kill me but the official ship is Bea/Will, look I don't ship Will/Bea at all tbh, the other two are past/unrequited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite/pseuds/JustAGirlWhoTriesToWrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick hated high school, so he's tried to forget most of it. But he remembers a girl with red hair, who was always nice to him. He loved her smile--But her boyfriend was a douche. What was her name?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I think I loved her

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Red](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/219034) by Sticktier. 



Nicholas Bottom hated his high school years, for numerous reasons.

* * *

Freshman year started with his mom dying from grief combined with prolonged health issues, which was caused by their father disappearing at sea and being presumed dead.

He gained a reputation as a crybaby that year, and couldn't live it down, because he didn't want to explain that he'd just lost both of his parents. Eventually word got out and the teasing stopped, but the damage was already done.

The red-haired girl in his Gym class was the only one nice to him the whole time. He never did get her name.

He loved her smile.

* * *

Sophomore year, he met William Shakespeare. They were head to head in everything, and somehow Will always came out on top. Speech team, debate team, theatre, UIL creative writing--You name it, Will beat him, and made sure everyone knew. It hurt.

It hurt even more when Will started dating the Red-Haired Girl (who was in three of his classes) just as summer started--The day before he'd planned to ask her out.

He still loved her smile, even if it was Will causing it.

* * *

Junior Year: Will was no longer dating the Red-Haired Girl, but they still seemed to be friends, and he made her happier than anyone else he saw her with, which hurt. He wished he could make her happy like that. Or, anyone, really. Nigel kept encouraging him to go out and make friends, to find someone, that he didn't need his constant protection... But somehow, Nick was always unable to do so. He couldn't stop thinking about the red-haired girl.

Nigel had the same health problems their mother did, and that year they were particularly bad. Nick developed a sleeping disorder.

The Red-Haired Girl was in 4 of his classes this year, including Speech and Debate. Unfortunately, Will was in Speech and Debate with them, so they didn't talk much.

The Red-Haired girl went through a two bad relationships, and after each one she went a week without smiling much. It hurt. It hurt more that it was Will comforting her.

Nick still loved her smile, but the one she wore when she and Will announced they were getting back together for the summer was bittersweet to him.

* * *

 

Finally, senior year. Filled with the stress of college applications and senior activities that made him want to gag. 3 years of constant bullying from his classmates didn't make him want to "create lasting memories" with them.

He learned he'd need a ton of financial aid to afford more than a year of tuition at his first-choice school, so there was that stress as well.

Will beat him out for a gigantic creative writing scholarship. Nick wanted to punch him.

But that could also be attributed to the fact that Will and Bea were still together. People started talking about how they would probably end up married, and it hurt.

Will kept beating him for scholarships, and that hurt too.

But he went more and more obscure ones, and managed to get enough money all he had to pay for was supplies. That was good.

He managed to pass all of his classes. That was good too.

At graduation, he cheered profusely when the Red-Haired Girl crossed the stage, the smiled that he loved shining brightly over her features.

* * *

 

He spent that summer in town working at a diner, so he could have money in case something fell through with his financial aid.

He saw the Red-Haired Girl many times, usually on a date with Will. Every time, he thought about telling her how he felt. He never did.

He still loved her smile, and her laugh, and the way her hair shone in the sunbeams through the diner windows.

He thought maybe he loved her.

* * *

 

Now, 6 years later, he'd all but forgotten most of his classmates. Occasionally he heard about Will, but he tried to avoid that topic. 

From time to time he remembered the Red-Haired Girl, but couldn't recall her name. 

But he could never forget that smile.

If only he'd had the courage to tell her...

Sitting in a bar after winter finals in Grad School, he saw a Red-Haired Girl sniffling into her whiskey, and he wondered how his old high school crush was doing.

He once believed he loved her.

Maybe part of him still did.

**Author's Note:**

> I may make this a multi-chapter story, I may not. I haven't decided yet. Tags and such will change accordingly.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Inspired by: http://sicktier.tumblr.com/post/148379503537/red


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